Azumurder Deathoh: Beach House Massacre
by Not-as-Thrilling-as-Advertised
Summary: It was only supposed to be one last trip to the beach before college.
1. The Stage is Set

I should probably warn you right now that people are going to die in this story.

* * *

"I can't help but wonder why you invited me along this time," Torako Takino looked accusingly at her sister.

"I invited you because I love my Tora-chan!" Tomo answered with an indulgent smile. Then she coughed and looked out the window. "Erm, and because Yukari-chan couldn't come this time and we needed someone to drive."

"I knew it."

"You should just be glad I let you bring one of _your_ friends along too," Tomo said as she glared at someone in the back seat. Yuko Oikawa was reading a magazine, while beside her Kagura was nodding along with whatever was pumping through her headphones while Yomi stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"It wasn't your decision," Torako pointed out as she kept her eyes on the blue Toyota ahead of them. "That short kid was the one who okayed it."

"You mean Chiyo-chan."

"Yeah. Where _is_ this beach house, anyway?"

"It's by the beach, stupid."

"I know that, it's just taking a while to get to."

"That's because you drive too slow," Tomo said as she put her feet up on the dash. "If Yukari-chan were driving we'd be there by now."

"Didn't you say she couldn't come because she drove into a lamp post and broke her collarbone?" On her way home from the high school graduation ceremony, no less.

"Yeah, why?"

Torako just shook her head. _Why did Asagi have to have that stupid family trip?_

In the back seat Kagura took off her headphones. "Are you two really related, Tomo? She's so boring."

Everyone screamed and shouted as Torako suddenly began swerving all over the road. "Happy?" she asked when her driving returned to normal.

"That was fun!" Tomo exclaimed. "Do it again!"

Kagura looked furious. "Are you trying to kill us?!"

Torako growled and stared forward at the road as three pairs of eyes glared at her.

Oikawa leaned forward to talk to her. "What's _with_ you, anyway?"

"No smokes," Torako answered, glaring at Kagura in the rearview mirror.

Oikawa sighed. As soon as she'd lit up when they left for the beach house Kagura had begun coughing dramatically, making as big a scene as she could until the cigarette was out the window.

"Well excuse me for liking my lungs," Kagura said.

"What's _your_ problem, Kagura?" Yomi asked. She'd been crabby since the moment she showed up at Chiyo's house that morning.

"I didn't get any sleep last night."

"Oh, _well!_" Torako said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

"Both of you, shut up!" Yomi snapped. "We're supposed to be having fun, not bickering like a bunch of teenage girls."

"We _are_ teenage girls!" Torako and Kagura both said in unison.

"We're also about to be university students, so act like it." They had all just graduated from high school three days ago, and this trip to Chiyo's beach house would be the last before they each embarked on their separate college careers. Torako was only along because they needed another car and she'd gotten her driver's license that year, and Oikawa was there because she'd been told she could bring a friends and Asagi was out of town.

--

By the time they'd reached the beach house everyone in Torako's car was in a bad mood, with the exception of the irrepressable Tomo. The car had barely even stopped before she was trying to open her door.

"Tora-chan, it's locked," she said.

"Be patient," her sister said and put the car in Park. There was a loud _chgunk_ as the doors automatically unlocked. As they all got out and stretched, Torako immediately lit a cigarette. She was crossing around to the back hatch when she saw that teacher approaching.

"Did you find your way here okay?" she asked. What was her name again? Tomo had just called her "Nyamo-chan."

Torako nodded, suddenly acutely aware of the cigarette in her mouth. "I just followed you guys, so it was pretty easy."

Nyamo smiled. "That's good. Thank you again for coming on such short notice, I hope we're not inconveniencing you."

She shouldered Tomo's bag and picked up her own before shaking her head. "No, it's all right. I didn't really have anything to do for the next few days anyway."

Nyamo nodded and said something about having fun before turning to help unload her own car. After taking a few steps she paused and turned back. "Oh by the way, if you smoke those things inside I'm flushing them down the toilet."

Torako narrowed her eyes and started towards the house. This was going to be a long three days.

--

After the cars were unloaded and they were all gathered on the porch Chiyo went to unlock the door, casting a suspicious glance at Tomo.

"What? I'm way over here," she said from behind Yomi and Kagura.

When she was satisfied that Tomo couldn't reach the key she took it out and let them all in. Thumps sounded through the house as bags were dropped and bodies hit the floor.

"Ahh, it's good to be back here," Yomi said from the sofa.

"You said it," Kagura said from the floor.

"Hey Tomo," Osaka said, pointing out the open door, "Tora-chan's pretty popular, huh."

Out on the porch Torako had hung back to finish her cigarette, and Oikawa had stayed behind with her. Out there with them were Chiyo and Kaorin.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Torako-san," Chiyo said. "Tomo-chan's told me about you."

Torako looked down her, looking unsure of how to deal with this little runt. "I wonder how much of it's actually true," she wondered aloud. "You're the genius girl, right?"

Chiyo closed her eyes and laughed, looking disgustingly cute. "Oh, I just got skipped ahead a few grades."

"Uh-huh." Torako nodded and then noticed Kaorin staring at her. "What?"

"Sakaki-san's cooler!" she blurted.

"Huh?" Torako and Oikawa exchanged puzzled looks.

"You'll never be as cool as Sakaki-san!" Kaorin repeated.

"O-okay," Torako managed, thoroughly confused. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kaorin nodded firmly and headed inside.

"What's with her?" Torako turned to Chiyo and pointed with her cigarette.

"I'm not really sure."

"OKAY!" All three of them turned towards Tomo's shout. "Let's hit the beach!"

--

She looked around the beach at the girls as they relaxed and enjoyed the weather. Most of them sat on the sand and soaked up the sun while the two idiots and the genius played in the water. There were a lot of them here; she'd have to work quickly if she was going to eliminate them all within the next three days. Her eyes turned toward the two outsiders, sitting together a little further from the main group. It was too bad that they'd have to die too, but since they were here there was little choice. They would be among the first to go.

* * *

**-Author Notes-**

I don't know why I felt like writing an Azumanga Daioh slasher-type story (especially since I'm not a fan of slasher horror at all), but I did, so I am. I'm including Torako and Oikawa (from my other story, "The Other Takino") also because I felt like it. (For the reasoning behind why Torako from Yotsubato! is Tomo's twin sister in this story, see the author notes for the first chapter of my other story.) I should warn you that not only are people going to die (as stated above), but I still don't know who's going to survive this thing, or even who the killer is. Let's see how long it takes me to write myself into a corner and this whole thing to come crashing down.

Also don't expect this thing to get updated as often as "The Other Takino."

Also also: Holy CRAP this thing's short. I almost feel ashamed.


	2. First Fatalities

"Hey, where's Kaorin?" Yomi asked, holding the last can from her run to the stand. All eyes immediately turned to Sakaki.

"Why are we looking at her?" Torako whispered to Tomo.

"Kaorin's usually hanging around Sakaki. She's obsessed with her."

Torako nodded. "Ahh."

"Why are you all looking at me?" Sakaki asked.

"I think I heard her say something about grabbing something from the house," Kagura said. "But that was kind of a while ago."

Nyamo stood up and began gathering her things. "Well we'd better head back anyway, let's see what the hold-up is."

As they all headed back Tomo nudged her sister with her elbow. "I _told_ you Sakaki was taller than you."

"Okay."

"And that her boobs were bigger."

Up ahead Sakaki blushed and covered herself with her towel.

"Shut up," Torako said.

"Tora-chan's one of us though." Osaka was staring at her chest.

"What is _with_ you?" Torako had met Osaka a couple times before, and every time that girl acted weirder and weirder.

"What the hell?"

They all looked towards the front as they reached the beach house. Nyamo was walking up to her car. "Somebody slashed my tires!"

"Oh, hell." Torako took off towards her parents' vehicle. When she saw it was resting on the rims she pressed her hands to her forehead and swore. "Where's Kaorin? I'm going to kick her _ass!_"

"We don't know she did this," Yomi pointed out.

"Well the list of suspects is pretty short," Kagura said. "And Kaorin's the only one of us without an alibi."

"How about we _find_ her before we go laying blame." Oikawa was looking at the open front door of the beach house.

As soon as they stepped inside they knew something wasn't right. Bags had been dumped out, and smashed cell phones littered the floor.

"Wha . . . what happened here?" Chiyo began backing out of the doorway.

Osaka stepped forward and picked up an orange piece of plastic. "Tomo-chan, I think this one's yours."

"And here's mine," Kagura said.

"I'm starting to regret coming along with you guys," Oikawa muttered.

"Everyone stay here," Nyamo said, motioning for them not to go anywhere. "I'll check the rest of the house."

A moment later they heard a blood-curdling scream.

Kagura arrived in the room first, followed by Yomi and Torako. As they all froze in the doorway the others crashed into them from behind, knocking them forward into the room. They were immediately hit with the coppery reek of blood; it was pooled on the floor, splattered on the walls, and even splashed on the ceiling. There was so much of it that it couldn't possibly have come from the one person laying under the window with her throat cut to the spine.

"COACH!" Kagura screamed and ran to Nyamo's still-squirming body, slipping in the blood and crashing to the floor before scrabbling to her side. "Coach!"

Chiyo screamed as Sakaki pulled her out away from the bedroom-turned-abatoir. Everyone else simply stared, too shocked to say anything. There was a brief sizzle as Torako's cigarette fell from her lips and hit the floor. As Kagura held her in her arms Nyamo made a croaking, gurgling sound before finally dying.

Yomi tried unsuccessfully to comfort a sobbing Kagura as they all left the room and closed the door. In the hall Sakaki was on her hands and knees, looking like she'd just finished throwing up.

Yomi was the first to speak. "We need to get out of here."

Tomo looked close to panic. "How? Our tires are slashed!"

"So we walk," Torako said. "There's a town not too far from here."

"And get killed on the road?"

"Haven't you ever heard of safety in numbers?"

Chiyo spoke up. "We can't leave, we need to find Kaorin!"

"You saw all that blood!" Kagura said as she wiped her eyes. "She's probably dead too."

Oikawa just stared ahead.

"We don't know that," Sakaki said, getting to her feet. "She might be hurt somewhere."

"Or she might be the killer," Osaka said.

Yomi scoffed. "Are you kidding, Kaorin's a kitten."

"It's always the one you least expect," Osaka insisted.

"We can't stay here," Yomi repeated. "If Kaorin is still alive we can send the police once we get to a phone."

"She might be dead by then!" Chiyo sobbed.

"She might be dead _now!_"

Torako spoke again. "We can't do anyone any good if we all stay here and get picked off."

"I'm not leaving," Chiyo said firmly between sobs.

"If Chiyo's staying I'm staying," Kagura said. "Besides, I want to kill this bastard myself."

"I won't run away," Sakaki said.

"It's a battle!" Osaka proclaimed with her usual dead-eyed smile. "I'll stay to assist the forces of justice!"

Torako and Yomi looked pleadingly at Tomo. "I'm staying too," she finally said.

"You're all idiots," Oikawa said. "Torako, please tell me you're getting out of here."

Torako looked defeated. "I can't leave Tomo," she said quietly. "If she's staying, so am I."

"Great, we're all going to die here."

"I suggest we arm ourselves," Yomi said. "There's knives in the kitchen."

* * *

**-Author Notes-**

Bye-bye, Nyamo and Kaorin.

Ah, such terrible judgment, so detrimental to life and limb but so essential to there actually being a story after the first murders. I salute you, Slasher Movie Dumbass Logic, and your ability to render even the most rational person too stupid to live.

Also, I'm finding Osaka to be a bit of a pain in the ass to write. Don't get too attached.

(Will all this story's chapters be so shamefully short? Maybe. I don't know, I'm just writing this for shits and giggles.)


	3. Protective Measures

There were no knives in the kitchen.

"Well we know Tomo's not the killer," Torako muttered. "They planned ahead."

Kagura wordlessly went to the broom closet and got out a broom. As the others watched, and raised it over her head and slammed it into the floor.

"Kagura-san!" Chiyo shouted. "My broom! My floor!"

"I think we have more important things to worry about, Chiyo," Yomi said.

Kagura slammed the broom down again and the head finally broke off, cracking diagonally along the shaft and leaving behind a very crude spear. As she hefted the makeshift weapon and felt the end she looked at the others.

"All right, Kagura!" Tomo said, pumping her fist. "You're not a complete idiot after all!"

" . . . Er, thanks."

"Has this place got a tool shed?" Torako asked as Yomi and Tomo began smashing apart a couple chairs and Osaka stood there staring into space.

Chiyo shook her head that no, it didn't.

"Have you got anything in your car?" Oikawa asked Torako.

"No." She looked around the room. "There's gotta be something with an edge around here."

"I don't like weapons . . ." Sakaki said quietly. Everyone ignored her.

Oikawa looked at the windows. "Have we got any tape?" she asked.

Osaka reached under the sink and took out a frying pan. "I found a knife!" Everyone ignored her, too.

Chiyo reached into a junk drawer and handed Oikawa a roll of duct tape.

Torako and Yomi both must have realized what she was thinking, because they immediately began using chair legs to smash through the windows, ignoring Chiyo's cries of protest. "I didn't know you were so resourceful," Torako said as they picked through the broken glass for suitable pieces.

Oikawa just shrugged. "I just hope you still know how to fight," she said.

"So do I."

--

The night found them gathered in the living room. It was nearly three in the morning, and those who hadn't already fallen asleep were fighting to stay awake.

"Somebody should keep watch so the others can rest," Yomi said as she yawned and looked at the slumbering Chiyo and Osaka.

"I'll stay awake," Torako raised her hand. "I'm used to not getting much sleep anyway."

Yomi nodded and closed her eyes. If anything happens, give a shout," she said. Kagura began to snore.

Torako nodded and lit a fresh cigarette.

--

Four in the morning. Everyone else had fallen asleep, and no sign of a killer. _Maybe they've taken off,_ Torako thought. Though if they'd just wanted to bump off two of them they wouldn't have smashed their phones and slashed their tires. _Why the hell are we staying here?_ She yawned. This was stupidity almost beyond comprehension.

She was reaching for her rapidly-depleting cigarettes when she heard a creak on the porch. Picking up her glass shard by the duct tape handle she took a tentative step towards the open window. Outside she saw only their useless vehicles in the darkness beyond the porch railing. She was almost to the window when she heard another creak of someone stepping on a loose floorboard. This time it was behind her.

Torako turned just in time to see the hammer descend. Then there was a blinding pain, the world flashed white, and then there was nothing.

--

When she was finished dragging Tomo's chain-smoking sister into the woods she returned to the house, this time with knife drawn. Stepping quietly, she crossed the room to where the girl with short hair and glasses sat sleeping in her chair. A quick thrust drove the blade through her neck, severing the carotid artery and the vocal chords in one motion. Oikawa's eyes went wide and she made a sound like a strangled goose through the hand clapped over her mouth as hot blood spurted from her gaping neck. Within a few moments her struggling weakened, then stopped. Then, taking care not to make any noise, the body was carried awkwardly out the front door.

Four down.


	4. Negative Population Growth

"_Where's Torako?!_"

Everyone was woken up by Tomo's scream. As the others all got to their feet, ready for action (or at least as ready as a bunch of teenage girls could be), she was bouncing around the living room like a shrieking pinball, screaming her sister's name through every doorway se could find, up to and including the broom closet in the kitchen. She only noticed anyone else was awake when Chiyo and Sakaki both saw the trails of blood leading out the front door and screamed.

"Torako's gone!" Tomo wailed, apparently forgetting about Oikawa entirely.

"Oikawa's missing too," Yomi pointed out, staring at the larger pool of blood on the floor. She was pretty sure she'd last seen her sitting in that chair . . .

"The blood leads out the door . . . " Kagura observed, pointing with her spear. Then Tomo had thrown the door open and charged outside, following the trail of crimson and the drag marks across the gravel of the driveway and into the grass.

"Tomo you idiot, wait!" Yomi ran after her, followed by the others.

The trail was soon lost in the overgrown grass. "Chiyo, why can't your family ever mow the damn lawn out here?" Kagura asked.

"We don't come out here much," Chiyo said. She and Sakaki were both hanging back while the others searched through the waist-deep grass for any sign of Torako or Oikawa.

"You two mind helping us out here?" Yomi asked angrily over her shoulder. As they reluctantly came forward she turned to Tomo. She tried to think of some way to reassure her friend, but one look at her tear-streaked face and she knew telling her the truth wouldn't help and she couldn't bring herself to lie. She was saved from saying something awkward by Sakaki tripping over something and then screaming for the second time that day.

As they all reached her Chiyo and Osaka both screamed too. Sakaki had found Oikawa. As Sakaki scrambled backwards away from the body Chiyo turned and ran back to the house.

"Chiyo, wait!" Yomi shouted and took off after her. She had nearly caught up to her when Chiyo reached the front door and threw it open, dislodging the rock propped above the doorway in their absence. Chiyo was still screaming when the watermelon-sized stone came crashing down on her head, caving in her skull and bringing her crashing to the floor. As Yomi came to a terrified halt Chiyo's body twitched spasmically as her destroyed brain sent out frenzied nerve impulses before going still. "CHIYO-CHAAAAN!!"

--

Yomi looked from Chiyo's blanket-covered body to the others. "We need to leave," she said. "None of you can possibly believe Kaorin is still alive now." She glanced at Tomo and hesitated, then added: "Or Torako."

Tomo shook her head vehemently. "If she's dead then where's the body?"

"They're never dead until you see a body," Osaka agreed. "That's how it works in movies."

"This isn't a movie, you addle-brained doorstop!" Kagura snapped. "Kaorin and Torako are just as dead as the others."

"She's not dead!" Tomo insisted. "She can't be dead! She . . . she . . ." She broke down crying again as a red-eyed Sakaki put an arm around her.

"Geez," Kagura said. "I didn't cry that much when Nyamo died, and I cry at _everything._"

"She just lost her _twin sister,_ you idiot," Yomi said, getting to her feet and taking a step towards her.

"Fighting won't help us," Sakaki said.

Kagura's face softened and she nodded. "I know, I'm just . . . scared. I'm sorry, Tomo."

Yomi nodded at Sakaki. "Sakaki's right, we need to calm down. We all need to be . . . where's Osaka?"

"That space cadet's gonna get us all killed," Kagura muttered as she looked around the living room and grabbed her spear.

"Hey guys!" They all breathed a sigh of relief when Osaka appeared from one of the bedrooms. Then they noticed the red stains spreading across her shirt. "I found us a knife" she said before pitching forward onto the railing, flipping over it, and landing in the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a butcher knife buried in her back up to the hilt.

* * *

**-Author Notes-**

I promise I don't have any sort of grudge against these characters. Honest.

Will I bump off two people in each chapter? Who knows? Who cares?


	5. Face to Face

It had been surprisingly easy up to this point. To be honest before starting out she hadn't been sure she'd be able to kill even one of them, let alone as many as she had. Even then she'd been apprehensive; she knew everyone else and how much of a threat they might pose, but that chain-smoking dyke and her four-eyed friend were totally unknown to her. She'd breathed a sigh of relief when they were out of the picture.

Still, she couldn't let herself get complacent now; there were still Yomi and Kagura to deal with, the surviving group's brains and brawn, respectively. She wasn't sure about Tomo now, either. She was obviously devastated, but that only meant she could become violently unpredictable if she saw an opportunity for vengeance. That idiot wasn't especially strong, but she could move very fast.

She'd have to wait until they were asleep again to make her next move. Until then, she would concentrate on preparing for the finale. This beach trip would be ending with a bang.

A very big one.

--

"Hey Kagura, can I ask you something?"

Kagura turned away from the window to look at Tomo. "Yeah, go ahead," she said before turning back to stare outside. The sun was starting to sink towards the horizon.

"What's your first name? You never told us."

Kagura winced. "Why do you want to know that _now?_"

Tomo shrugged. "Don't know. Just felt like a good time."

Kagura looked at her again. Seeing that spastic dumbass so small and quiet was somehow deeply unsettling. Finally she sighed. "It's Steven."

"Steven?" Yomi asked. "Isn't that a boy's name?"

Kagura nodded. "My parents wanted something foreign and exotic. Unfortunately they didn't really do much homework."

"If we get out of this remind me to make fun of your name," Tomo said into her knees.

"Yuri," Sakaki said.

"Huh?" Tomo asked.

"My name is Yuri."

"That's better than Steven."

"Shut up!" Kagura said.

"Oh, do you prefer Steve?" Tomo asked.

"I thought you were grieving!"

"Okay, that's enough," Yomi said and stood up from the couch. "It'll be night soon, so we need to decide who gets first watch."

"That's a death sentence" Kagura said.

"Would you prefer the alternative?" Yomi asked.

"I'll do it." Sakaki stood up. "I haven't been much use to anyone so far anyway, and I'm too scared to sleep."

Yomi nodded. "Okay, if you see _anything_ you scream. And stay away from the windows." She turned to address Tomo and Kagura. "I suggest we try to sleep now, because first thing tomorrow we're getting out of here."

Kagura nodded firmly, Tomo less so.

--

Sakaki sat in the dark, eyes wide. Every noise she heard sounded like someone outside the house, coming in with an aim to murder. How long had she been sitting there? It felt like an eternity. She was tired; her body moaned for sleep, but every time her eyes closed she saw those trails of blood leading out of the house and the yellowjackets crawling across Oikawa's dead face.

In fact, that was exactly what she was thinking about when the hand clamped over her mouth from behind. Her nose filled with the smell of chloroform and she tried not to inhale, but her panicked lungs wouldn't listen. She tried to stand, but her knees were already going weak. She tried to scream but all she could manage a moan that barely made it past the rag. Sakaki's eyelids quickly grew heavy, her struggles more sluggish, until finally a more absolute darkness replaced her moonlit surroundings.

--

The sun rose to find all four girls asleep and alive, albeit lined up on the couch with their arms tied behind their backs. She stood above them, bathrobe on and oni noh mask firmly in place, waiting for someone to wake up. She was surprised at how much she'd been enjoying this whole murder thing, but it was time to wrap things up now.

Kagura woke up first. She took a moment to realize something was off. "What the . . . what the hell?" Then she looked up and saw the horned figure standing above her, holding a tanto in one hand. "Guys . . ." she said without taking her eyes off the masked face, "guys, wake up."

Yomi stirred first. "Huh, what's . . . oh, hell." She nudged Tomo with her shoulder. "Tomo, you have to wake up."

"Buttered muffins," Tomo mumbled in her sleep.

"WAKE UP, RETARD!" Kagura shouted at her.

Tomo's eyes opened, and as soon as she worked out the situation she swore. "Nice job on watch, Sakaki!" she said to the sedated girl slumped over next to her. "Hey . . . hey Sakaki?"

Their abductor didn't wait for anyone to ask questions. As soon as everyone who was going to wake up had done so they reached out and grabbed Yomi by the hair, yanking her up off the couch.

"Yomi!" Tomo wailed. "Let her go! Take me!"

The horned one looked at Tomo. Just as Yomi was tensing to fight back, the tanto was thrust up into her stomach.

Tomo and Kagura watched in stunned silence as Yomi cried out in agony and slumped over the blade. Fresh blood spattered the already stained floor and their attacker pulled the knife free before thrusting it into Yomi's body again, and again, and again. Eventually she fell sideways, hitting the floor with a dull thud as she stared glassily into space.

The horned figure knelt before her and raised the blade and Tomo found her voice. "YOMIIIIII!!" she screamed, startling their killer. As attention was turned towards the screaming idiot, Kagura took her chance.

With a low roar she leaned forward and launched herself forward, charging towards the masked killer with her body low and her head down. Just as they were turning to face her she slammed into their midsection, carrying them halfway across the room to crash into the wall, stunning them both.

The killer recovered first. Before Kagura could regain her bearings they brought the tanto down into her back. Kagura screamed in pain before slamming her shoulder into their stomach and looking back at Tomo, still on the couch. "_Run,_ you idiot!" she shouted before the killer grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the wall.

On her feet now, Tomo backed away as the killer let Kagura slump limply to the floor and advanced on her. Any trace of her usual bravado was gone now. All she could manage in resistance were scared whimpering sounds, as she was backed into the kitchen and against the counter. Tears ran from her eyes as she watched the knife raise up in the air . . .

"Get away from her, you _bitch!_"

Startled yet again, the killer turned to look up at the person standing behind her. She finally spoke then, managing only a single syllable before Torako's fist slammed into her face, breaking the mask and her nose beneath it.

* * *

**-Author Notes-**

HEY WAIT A MINUTE WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS


	6. Revelation and Confusion

**Earlier.**

Torako opened her eyes and groaned. How long had she been out? She remembered standing in the dark, a flash of metal in her eyes . . . then nothing. Ugghhh, her head hurt. She felt torn skin under crusted blood. She looked around; she was lying in grass, the sun shining through leaves above her. She sat up and fought a wave of nausea. What had happened?

A hammer. She remembered now. Someone had hit her with a hammer. Last night? She'd been . . . she'd been on watch? _Oh god, the others._ Torako got unsteadily to her feet. How fast could she move? It didn't matter, she had to hurry.

She got moving, but it took a minute to figure out which direction to go in. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her forehead, trying to will the world to stop spinning. _Okay Torako . . . take it easy. You've been hit on the head before. You'll be fine, just don't get stupid._ When the spinning finally stopped she opened her eyes. There was the house. She started toward it.

She got ten steps before her foot hit a leg. She turned, saw Oikawa, bent double and vomited. Torako backed away from the body until she hit a tree, where she sank to her knees. She hadn't known Kurosawa or that Kaorin girl, so while she knew their deaths were terrible she couldn't feel the full weight of their loss. She'd known Oikawa though. She'd known her since her first year in high school, they'd filled a shoe locker with mud together. Of their group Oikawa had been the most normal one, neither a childish prankster like Asagi nor a perpetually frowning pushover like she was.

Torako forced herself to stand. Okay, her friend was dead. Who else had been killed while she was out? Yomi? Tomo? _Oh please god, not Tomo._ The sadness that filled her was replaced then by dread as she got moving again. What would she find when she got there?

As she neared the house Torako heard screaming. Was it Tomo, or was it her imagination? She leaned against Kurosawa's car and waited for the dizziness to pass.

"YOMIIIIII!!"

That was definitely Tomo. The dizziness and nausea were pushed aside, replaced by determination and anger. She took a step forward.

A crash from inside. Kagura's voice this time, shouting "_Run, _you idiot!" A pained scream as Torako reached the porch. She stepped inside. No hesitation; she was too angry to worry. She surveyed the carnage as she stalked through the room. Kagura was slumped over by the wall, with blood flowing from her back. Her legs moved feebly; she was still alive. Yomi was in front of the couch. She wasn't moving. Torako didn't have time to grieve. _Where's Tomo?_ There, the kitchen. Her sister was backing up against the counter, her attention focused on the person in front of her. They were holding a knife.

"Get away from her, you _bitch!_"

The killer whirled, and Torako was looking down into a horned face with a silly grin. "Wha-" was all they managed before her right hook landed, knocking them to the floor. Torako didn't wait for them to get up. She was straddling them, grabbing the collar of their bathrobe and slamming her fist into the cracked plastic face until she wasn't sure if the blood was from their face or her knuckles. When she was satisfied that they wouldn't be getting up right away she picked up the dropped knife and went to her stunned sister.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she cut the rope tying her wrists.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Tomo cried and threw her arms around her. "I told them . . ."

Torako nodded and gently pushed her away. "Yeah, and we need to get out of here. Now."

Tomo nodded as Torako pushed the knife into her hands. "Free the others and get them out of here," she said. While Tomo helped Sakaki out the door Torako went back to their assailant where she lay on the floor whimpering. With her foot she rolled her onto her back before kicking the mask off. " . . . _You?_" Staring up at her with wild, terrified eyes was Kaorin. Torako took a step back. "What . . . your friends . . . why?"

Across the room Kagura struggled to her feet, whimpering in pain.

Kaorin's bloody lips moved. "She . . . she told me she'd killed you . . ."

Torako's scowl deepened. "What?"

"TORAKO BEHIND YOU!"

Torako's eyes went wide and she turned just in time to see a second masked attacker diving at her with a knife. She put her hand up instinctively and screamed as the blade punched straight through her palm. Weakened by pain, she fell to the the floor with the second attacker on top of her, pushing down on the knife with their full weight. Out of the corner of her eye Torako saw Kaorin scramble to her feet and make a run at a shocked Kagura. As the distance closed the surprise on her face was replaced by rage.

"You little bitch!" Kagura roared at her, grabbing up a shard of glass and meeting her charge. She swung the glass, burying it in Kaorin's side. As the smaller girl grabbed for it Kagura's fist swung under her arms and drove into her midsection, feeling a satisfying crack as the glass shattered inside her body. "How's that feel?!" she asked angrily as she slammed her fist into Kaorin's face as she wailed in pain.

Torako looked away from the scene back at her own opponent. Her arms couldn't hold out much longer; whatever adrenaline she'd been running on was starting to run out, and her scrawny arms couldn't do the job themselves. Trying and failing to ignore the pain in her hand she began forcing the blade sideways away from her throat. She didn't quite make it as far as she'd hoped, and she felt the tip stab into her shoulder.

Then the weight on her chest was abruptly lifted, and the knife was yanked painfully from her shoulder and hand. Torako opened her eyes to see her sister wrestling with the second attacker, dragging them back with her arm around their throat. "Tomo be careful!"

"Run, Torako!"

Torako was just getting to her feet as the attacker raised the knife above their head and plunged it down and back into Tomo's side.

* * *

**-Author Notes-**

Well, looks like there's only one chapter to go before this godawful confusing make-up-as-I-go catastrophe is finally over.

It _about time._


	7. Out with a Bang

Torako froze. Tomo's eyes widened as her arms slackened. Her mouth opened and a whimper escaped. "To . . . run . . . Tora . . . ko . . ."

Her vision went red. Forgetting the pain in her head, the pain in her hand, and the pain in her shoulder, with an animal scream Torako lunged forward and grabbed the second masked figure by their brown hair before slamming their face into the kitchen counter.

--

"Why?!" Kagura demanded as she slammed her fist into Kaorin's face again. "Why would you do this to us?!"

She paused. Kaorin wasn't looking at her. Kagura turned her head and saw Sakaki in the doorway, staring down at them with horror in her eyes. Eventually her mouth worked. "Kaorin . . . you?"

Fresh tears welled up in Kaorin's eyes. "I just . . ." she said through bloody lips, "I only wanted you . . . to myself . . ."

"So we all had to die?!" Kagura shouted and shook her. Kaorin's arm swung up and the chair leg in her hand cracked against the side of Kagura's skull. As she swore and grabbed her head Kaorin scrambled away and staggered to the balcony, hand over her bleeding side.

--

Torako picked her sister up off the floor. "Tomo, get up. You're gonna be okay, but we need to go."

"It hurts," Tomo said between sobs. Her hands shook as they tried and failed to stop the flow of crimson from her side.

Torako started pulling her to the door. "I know, but we need to move now. You're going to be okay, I promise."

"It's Chihiro," Tomo said then.

"What?"

"Chihiro," she said again and pointed at the brown-haired girl picking herself up dazedly from the kitchen floor.

Torako picked up the pace. It wasn't easy to move someone when they refused to use their legs. Tomo always picked the most inopportune moments to be a drama queen. "Yeah, that's great. You have to help me here." Then she screamed and fell to the floor as Chihiro drove the knife into the back of her leg. Torako pushed Tomo towards the door as she rolled over to see Chihiro (whoever that was) starting to crawl up her body with vengeance in her eyes. She looked towards Sakaki as she came back from getting Kagura outside. "Get Tomo out of here!" she shouted as she looked frantically for something, anything, to use as a weapon. She was reaching for a pointy piece of broken wood as Chihiro's knife was pounded down into her stomach.

Torako screamed and bent double. She heard Tomo screaming her name, and forced herself not to succumb to the pain. Clenching the piece of wood in her hand, she swung it like a hammer into the side of Chihiro's neck, punching straight through the other side. As the smaller girl grabbed at her throat and began gurgling and coughing blood, she kicked her away and crawled back away from her.

--

Kaorin coughed blood onto the floor of the balcony and moaned. How had everything gone so wrong? She wiped at her face and sobbed, showing red-stained teeth. All she'd wanted was the others out of the way. Then she'd have Chihiro stab her a couple times, tie her up, and leave her somewhere for the cops to find. She would recover, and as the only two survivors she and Sakaki would share a new bond that she could build on to achieve something greater.

All that was gone now. That fucking blacklunged bulldyke lesbian bitch had ruined everything by having the gall to not die. No, it was Chihiro's fault, for not making sure. She should have known her friend wouldn't be up to this. Still, she could have salvaged the situation. She would have had to do some quick thinking, but she could have ironed everything out. But then Sakaki had seen her. Oh god, that look in her eyes. They could never be together now.

She checked her watch. Just as well then, that the timer would be running out any second now. She could only hope Sakaki was outside the house.

--

Torako was picking herself up off the floor and taking a limping step toward the door when the bombs attached to the struts holding the beach house on the cliff exploded. She managed only a surprised grunt as the entire house shook and a blast of flame and shredded wood knocked her flying, landing just a few feet from the doorway. _What was that?_ she thought in a daze, and then the house shuddered and groaned. The sound of splintering timbers filled the air as the house began to collapse over the side of the cliff, and Torako felt the floor tilting underneath her. She raised her head and fear brought her back to her senses as she saw the ocean appear as a huge chunk of the house fell away with a crash. Forgetting the pain of her wounds, she began scuttling backwards for the door as she heard the rest of the place getting ready to collapse.

She was nearly there when a support beam came crashing down straight through her right leg, shattering bone and pulping flesh. Torako threw her head back and howled in agony as she felt someone grab her under the arms and yank her backwards. She felt her ruined leg tear away from her body as Sakaki dragged her outside, and she finally lost consciousness.

Outside by the cars, Sakaki tied the makeshift tourniquet tight around Torako's thigh and hoped that it would suffice. She looked to Tomo and Kagura then; they were both bloody and close to catatonic, but alive. She heard sirens in the distance, and prayed they would make it in time. Then she let the full weight of everything that had just happened come crashing down on her, and she fell to her knees and began crying.

**The End (finally).**


End file.
